User: | Open Learning Faculty Member:
This was my first time designing and performing my own field experiment. I did experience some issues with implementation. First of all, I was unsure whether I would have enough sample units to collect. However, I was able to find enough rose bushes to sample when I extended the study area. The quadrat sampling method proved to be more difficult for measuring samples on bushes, because the surface is not flat like the ground. I had to re-define the sample area in order to make each sample collection the same.
Engaging in the practice of ecology has definitely changed my perspective on the development of ecology theory. I find myself noticing more patterns within the environment, and designing mini experiments in my head on how I would attempt to explain such patterns. It has also opened my eyes to just how complicated, intertwined and sophisticated natural ecosystems are.
